Article-sorting apparatus



Feb. 12, 1929. 1,701,641

R. A. sKRlBA ARTICLE SORTING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 30, 1926 by My result. blank, such as one with an imperfectly formed Patented Feb. 12, 1929.

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RUDOLPH ANTHONY SKRIBA, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOS, ASSGNOR TO WESTERN ELC- 'ERIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F NEVI YORK.

ARTCLE-SORTING APPARATUS.

Application filed Gctober 30, 1926.v Serial No. 145,133.

rThis invention relates to article sorting apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for sorting nut blanks and the like.

inthe process of machining certain classes formed in each blank be centrally located andr the exterior size or other characteristic therey of bein accordance With certain requirements to facilitate the tapping thereof. It is the practice in some instances to mechanically or manually select nut blanks from a supply thereof and introduce them into a tapping machine and in the eventthat the blanks thus selected have not been sorted so as to include only those which meet specified requirements, the introduction of animperfect blank may The presence of an imperfect, nut

aperture, may cause the tapin the machine to be subjected to deleterious strains. 4

The primary obgect of this invention is to provide a simple and durable apparatus-for quickly and eiiiciently sorting apertured articles.

ln accordance with the general features of the invention, one embodiment thereof compri: s an apparatus wherein nut blanks are fed from a supply hopper to a rotating drum having apertures through which blanks below a specified size are discharged While the remaining blanks are deposited upon a horizontal receiving plate. rlfhese selected blanks are sv-.f'ept in a circular path and ori; ented by resilient members carried by rotating arms over a plurality of openings in the plate and centrallyV positioned over vertical pins, those blanks of the desired size and contour and having apertures of vpredetermined size and location selectively passing through the openings and being threaded upon the pins.y

i These and other objects Willbe apparent from the following detailed description and` the accompanying drawings, in Which Fig. l is an elevational View of a sorting Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detailed sectional ,vieu of the sorting meclianism taken on the lino of Fi l, and

Fig. 3 is a ltransverse vertical section of the sorting mechanism taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. c,certain parts thereof being shown iirelevatioii..

.Referring new to the drawings wherein Ylike numerals havebeen employed to designate similar parts through the various iigures, it Will be observed that this improved sorting machine comprises a suitable machine hase or frame lll (Fig. l). Mounted at one extremity the base l0 is a hopper 1l and positioned Within the hopper is a screw conveyor l2 which is adapted to convey nut blanks from within the hopper ll to a rotatable,I perforated drum la.. The screw conveyor carries a beveled gear l5 at its loWer en'iity which operatively connected by means oiisuitable elements to a drivingl motor i6 which is supported by the upper portion of the frame lO. y

rihe drum la which is supported by a rotatable shaft i8 slightly inclined from the horizontal is provided With perforations 19 which will permit nut blanks beloWa certain specified exterior size to be discharged therethrough during therotation of the drum. One extremity of the shaft 18 is mounted in a suitable bearing Q0 on the hopperll and the other extremity thereof has a universal couplinfy connected with a pulley 23 which i connected with the motor iii .i and and'shafts 27 and 28. ie nut blanks which are not` discharged through the perforations 19v are conveyed within the drum to a sorting nieclnnty denoted generally bythe numeral 29.'

llhis. sorting mechanism 29 Whichis cai'n riod by a support 3l mounted upon the frame l0 vcomprises an upperiixed cylindrical secg tion and a lower section 33 which is hinged to the iixed section y32 at 35. VSecuredto the loiverportion of the fixed section 32 isa hori sontally'disposed receiving Vplate lo whic. provided with a plurality of spaced openings 37. `These openings are suicient in size to pern'iit nut blanks having a speciiied exterior size and contour to bedischarged by gravity when carried into registration therewith.

f Positioned Within the section andseber provided with radial arms 4l, the lower` surfaces of which are in parallelism with and in proximity to the upper sui-'tace ot the receiving plate 36. Secured to and spaced along the underside oi" each et the `ar-ins ll are a plurality ot' depending members i3 which are preferably constructed or a firm, yet resilient material, such as rubber, leather or the like. T he lower portions ot these depending members i3 tern'iinate immediately va djacent the upper surface ot the receiving p ate 35 and serve to engage with and orient nut blanks indiscriminately associated with the receiving plate 36 troni the drum lll.

il pluralityv et vertically disposed pins Lleilare scciu'ed at heir lower extremities to a base plate vi ich terms the bottom ot the hinged section S23. yWhen the hinged section is swung to its iippermost position as clearly shown in Fig. 8, it will be locked in position by means et a spring latch -l-l", and the upper extremities ot each et the pins lil will be positioned centrally with respect to a con'ipanion opening in the receiving plate 86. 'lhe upper ends ot the pins will terminate slightly below the upper surface of the plate 36, and it is to be understood that when a properly apertured nut blank is carried into registration with one ot the openings 37, it will be displaced therethrough by gravity and threaded upon a companion pin t; The pins l/-lare designed to permit the threading thereon otl nut blanks having` apertures which are centrally positioned and are of proper size. -Rotation is imparted to the arms lll through the shaft 39 which is operatively connected with the shaft 2'1" (Fig. l). Y

ln the operation of the machine nutblanks are indiscriminately placed wit-hin the hopper il and rotation is imparted to the screw conveyor l2 and the drum le through the medium et the driving motor 1G. Nut blanks which are below a certain required exterior size are discharged through the perorations 19 and subsequently deposited within a receiving el Aute i8 which serves to direct the discharged blanks to a pan 492 Due to the inclination ot the drum l-l the remaining blanks are conveyed to and indiscriminately deposited upon the receiving plate 36 o the sorting mechanism 29. rlhe continual rotation of the arms il causes thedepending members 43 thereon to engage with and orient the blanks associated with the plate 36 insuch a manner that the blanks will eventually be carried into registration with the openings 8?.k Blanks which meet the requirements as to exterior size and contour when carried into registration with the openings 3? will be discharged therethrough and threaded upon a companion pin ltit the blanks are properly apertured. ln the event that a blank should meet the external requirements as to size and contour but not be formed with an aperture or it an aperture in the blank is not centrally lo- Vbe swung downwardly in cated, the pins del will prevent the discharge thereof through the openings '37. 'lfo remove the sorted n ut blanks which are threaded upon the pins f-l-l, it is only necessary to release the latch thereby permitting the sect-ion 8,3 to V the posit-ion shown by dotted lines Fig. l) rlhe nut blanks may then be removed Yfrom their respective pins and deposited into a receiving tray 51. The `mperlect blanks remaining within the lined ection may be removed from time to time nd the sorted blanks within the tray 5l may e mechanically or manually introduced within tappiimachine. llhe dangers incident to the introduction et imperfect blanks are lnisitirely precluded by selecting blanks from a supply comprised oft blanks which have been sorted in the manner described.

.although the invention herein disclosed has been described in connection with apparais tor sorting nut blanks, it ist-o be under- .tood that the invention is capable out many other applications which are limited only by the scope the appended claims.

lllhat is claimed is:

l. ln apparatus for sorting apertured articles, an article receivingl means provided with an opening to permit the discharge therethrough of an article having a predetermined e L rior characteristic, means tor Causing relative rotary movement between the receiving means and an article associated therewith, and means positioned within the opening for preventing` imgeriforate articles Jrom passing through the opening in the receiving means.

2. In apparatus tor sorting apertured articles, an article receiving means, means provided with a plurality of openings to permit the discharge therethrough ot articles having a predetermined exterior size and contour, means tor causing relative rotary movement between the receiving means and associated articles, andmeaus positioned within each opening to prevent the discharge therethrough ol improperly aperturcd articles.

ln apparatus lor sorting apertured articles, an article receiving plate pro fided with openingsl to permit the discharge therethrough of articles having a predet-ern'iined exterior characteristic, a rotar*7 means tor orienting the articles associated with the receiving means, and means positioned within each opening to prevent the discharge therethrough of improperly apertured articles.

4. ln apparatus for sorting articles, an article receiving` means provided with a plurality ot openings to permit thedischarge therethrough of articles having a predetermined exterior characteristic, means for supplying articles to the receiving means, a rotary means Jfor orienting the articles associated with the receiving means,-and a pin associated with each opening to receive properly apertured articles discharged trom the receiving' means.

5. In a 5 aratus for sortinoa iertured artic n n D cles, an article receiving plate, provided with an opening to pernnt the discharge therethrough of an article heving a predeterlnlned exterior characteristic, a rotary ineens iler inovinothe article over the receivino e 1 1 T o plate, and a pin mounten beneath tne plate y and positioned Within the opening to receive properly apcrtured articles and prevent the discharge through the openino ot iinproperly apertured articles. l

6. ln apparatus for sorting apertnred articles, an article receiving` plete provided With an (meningY to permit the discharge there Athrough of an article having a predetermined characteristic, ineens for causingr a relative inoveinent between the plate and an article thereon, a pin cooperating` with the opening to receive properly apertured articles and to prevent the discharge through the opening ot iniproperly apertured articles and a inount- 'ing` therefor pivoted to nieve the pin from its article receiving position witl'iin the opening` to a discharge position.

7. lin apparatus for sorting apertnred arn ticles, an article receiving; plate provided with :i plurality or openings to perniit the discharge therethrough of articles having` a predetermined eXterior characteristic, inea-ns for causing a relative inoveinent between the plate and the articles thereon, a pin cooperating` with each openingto receive properly apertured articles and prevent the discharge through the opening of improperly apertured articles, and a connnon mounting lor the pins y pivoted to simultaneously inove the pins from Y drinn, ineens for ron ing the drun1,1neans i'or receiving the remaining` articles frein the lower end oi the drinn, and means for selectively discherging therefrom properly apertured articles oir' e. predetermined size.

ln witness whereof, l hereunto subscribe niy naine this 22nd day et October, A. l). 1926.

RUDOLPH ANTHONY SKRBA.. 

